Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description provided in this section is not prior art to the claims and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A telecommunication system typically includes an access network configured to provide client devices with connectivity to one or more transport networks. For example, a traditional landline telephone system may include an access network configured to provide landline telephones with connectivity to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). As another example, a wireless telecommunication system may include a radio access network configured to provide user equipment devices (UEs) with connectivity to one or more packet-switched networks (e.g., the Internet, a VoIP network, etc.) and/or circuit-switched networks (e.g., PSTN). Other examples are possible as well.
In practice, such an access network may include various entities that facilitate providing this connectivity between client devices and a transport network, examples of which may include base stations, controllers, gateways, or the like. Additionally, such an access network may include or have access to a policy management platform that is arranged to maintain and enforce policy rules for client devices being served by the access network. For instance, an access network may include (1) a policy decision point (PDP) that generally functions to maintain records of policy rules for client devices being served by the access network and (2) a policy enforcement point (PEP) that generally functions to enforce particular policy rules at various times while the access network is serving these client devices.
In one implementation of a policy management platform, the PDP may be the entity configured to decide which policy rule(s) should be applied while the access network is serving a client device. With this implementation, the PEP may not be configured to obtain a client device's record of policy rules from the PDP when the client device initially registers with the access network. Rather, when a circumstance arises that potentially calls for the potential application of a policy rule for the client device (e.g., when the client device attempts to access a transport network), the PEP may be configured to request a policy directive from the PDP, and the PDP may be configured to respond to the PEP's request with a policy directive that specifies which particular policy rule(s) (if any) should be applied by the PEP in that circumstance.
In another implementation of a policy management platform, the PDP may be the entity configured to decide which policy rule(s) should be applied while the access network is serving a client device. With this implementation, the PEP will be configured to obtain a client device's record of policy rules from the PDP when the client device initially registers with the access network. Then, when a circumstance arises that calls for the potential application of a policy rule for the client device (e.g., when the client device attempts to access a transport network), the PEP may be configured to decide which particular policy rule(s) (if any) should be applied in that circumstance without further consulting the PDP.
In practice, a client device's record of policy rules may generally define permissions, restrictions, and/or requirements relating to the configuration and operation of the access network when serving the client device, examples of which may include rules for managing the client device's access to particular resources, services, applications, and/or content, rules for managing quality of service (e.g., bit rate, priority level, packet delay, etc.) of communication with the client device, etc. These policy rules could be specific to a client device (e.g., based on a subscription level, device type, or the like), or could be generally applicable to various client devices served by the access network. Thus, as an access network serves a client device, communications to and from the client device may be subject to policy rules such as these that are maintained and applied by policy management platform.